Showing posts with label pleasa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pleasa. Show all posts

A Night Beneath the Burning Sky

 🔥 “A Night Beneath the Burning Sky”

In the summer of 1925, the oil fields of Moreni, Romania, became the stage for one of the most dramatic industrial disasters of the early 20th century — a fiery eruption that threatened to consume an entire valley, yet paradoxically prevented an even greater catastrophe.

⚙️ The Inferno at Pleașa-Moreni

Through the courtesy of Bucharest lawyer Ștefan Iosif, a correspondent from Gazeta Transilvaniei visited the blazing oil well at Pleașa-Moreni. The journey from Brașov through the wooded valleys and steep hills of Filipesti led to a surreal spectacle: thousands of electric lamps illuminating the valley like a city seen from an airplane, and at its center, a colossal red star — the burning well itself.

The scene was both magnificent and terrifying. Flames soared up to 40 meters high, scorching orchards, vineyards, and homes. The heat was so intense that fruit trees carbonized at a hundred meters’ distance. The well had become a man-made volcano, roaring and shaking the earth.

🧯 The Battle to Extinguish the Blaze

Two American engineers, clad in asbestos suits, approached the inferno to within fifteen meters — only to retreat drenched in sweat. Workers dug tunnels beneath the well to reach the erupting column of oil, but early miscalculations caused collapses and tragic losses. The first attempt cost three lives.

The tunnel entrance beneath the well on the 5th of August 1925

The second tunnel, wider and deeper, aimed to crush the iron column rather than drill through it — a method suggested weeks earlier by Iosif himself. This approach finally began to tame the eruption, though the delay had already cost millions.

💰 A National Loss

The fire consumed hundreds of millions in oil wealth, with an estimated 150 railcars of high-quality crude lost daily. The state suffered not only from the destruction of resources but also from lost taxes and economic paralysis. The article questioned why the Romanian government had left the operation entirely to the private Romano-American Oil Company, whose efforts seemed slow and secretive.

Could the disaster have been mitigated with greater state intervention — with soldiers and laborers mobilized to dig and contain the blaze? The author believed so.

🌬️ The Fire That Prevented a Greater Disaster

Ironically, the ignition of the well may have saved Moreni. Had the gases erupted without catching fire, they would have spread across the valley, turning every spark into a massive explosion. The initial blaze confined the gases, preventing a catastrophe that could have wiped out entire neighborhoods.

🏭 Lessons from the Flames

The Moreni fire exposed the fragility of Romania’s booming oil industry — its reliance on foreign expertise, its lack of emergency planning, and its dangerous complacency. It was a wake-up call for the ministries of Finance and Industry: progress demands vigilance.

Pleasa oil wells

Oil wells on Pleasa Hill and in Schela Mare near housing. Nowdays the area is abandoned from pov of oil extraction. 
Moreni in the 20s and nowdays.

 

Arnold Heim photos - Moreni

ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni West North, 18.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni Sud, 05.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni North, 19.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni North, 15.07.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv
 Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni Nord, 18.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni, 21.05.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni, 19.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni, 17.06.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv 
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni Bana Nord, 21.05.1926
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich Bildarchiv
Fotograf Heim Arnold 
Moreni, 04.08.1926 

In fata dezastrului dela Moreni

Gazeta Transilvaniei

Brasov, Joi 27 August 1925

In fata dezastrului dela Moreni

Cateva observatii cari intereseaza si ministerul de finante si industrie

S’a evitat o catastrofa fara pereche

Prin gentileta d-lui avocat Stefan Iosif din Bucuresti, am putut vizita sonda incendiata dela Pleasa-Moreni. Plecand cu automobilul din Brasov, am ajuns noaptea pe drumul dela Filipesti ( targ ) spre Moreni, strabatand vai impadurite, urcand dealuri repezi.- Automobilul ne ducea spre cea mai incantatoare priveliste, pe cat de ingrozitoare.

Pe dealul Morenilor ni se desfasura deodata, aceasta neintrecuta priveliste: in semiobscuritate, in vale, aparusera mii de lampioane electrice cari nu desveleau, cu lumina lor, scheletele sondelor ci dadeau intregei vai largi si intinse aspectul unui oras vazut din aeroplan, cu mii de case ale caror ferestre ar straluci luminate noaptea. De dupa un piept de deal, drept in fata noastra, statea o stea uriasa rosie, cuprinzand flacarile sondei incendiate, parca imobilizate ! Lumina lor se revarsa pe cer si peste dealurile inconjuratoare – lasand in umbra coclaurilor in valea Morenilor miile de lampioane albe, constrastand cu farul rosu stralucitor al sondei in plina ardere.

Nu poate fi priveliste mai mareata, mai incantatoare ! Dar in fata sondei mi-am dat seama de dezastrul produs.

Urcand pe jos un deal pieptos, repede, pe drum de care,luminat de care, luminat de flacarile sondei, ne-am apropiat de vulcanul din Pleasa. Asa, cu drept cuvant, poate fi numita sonda incendiata. Ca un Vulcan erupe, cu puteri ce zguduie imprejurimile, cu zgomote sinister. Vedem coloana de titeiu – de vre-o doui metri, fumurie si de-asupra ei incandescenta unei valtori de flacari. Sant cate odata inalte de 40 metri.

De jur imprejur parjol. Caldura pripeste obrazul dela sute de metri. – A uscat pomi si fructe. Un prun cu fructe ne apare aproape carbonizat, la o distanta de 100 metri de vulcan. Case arse si ruinate, o vie pustiita, livezi parjolite – toate in lumina puternica a sondei incendiate. In jurul craterului resturile de fier ale trufasei sonde rezista ranite caldurei sondei.

Am asistat si la un moment dramatic, cand unul dintre cei doui ingineri americani – cel mai tanar; imbracat in costumul de asbest, cu masca pe fata, s’a apropiat la 15 metri de gura vulcanului. Cate-va clipe si o retragere grabita. Bietul om era literlamente scaldat in sudoare. La vre-o 30 de metri un damb de pamant ridicat de lucratori inlesneste munca a vre-o 15 – 20 oameni ce executa un nou plan de stingere a sondei incendiate. Lucratorii se apara cu paveze de asbest.

Trebuie sa remarcam incetineala sau mai bine zis nepasarea cu care s’a procedat la opera de stingere. Tunelul croit sa ajunga la 15 metri sub putul sondei, la coloana de eruptie – a ajuns din eroare la 4-5 metri sub put, asa ca s-a surpat si cu mari greutati s-a putut aseza tubul pentru scurgerea pacurei. Acum se lucreaza la un al doilea tunel, de randul acesta mai larg ( 2 metri si 1,8 inaltime ). Era timpul suprem – mai ales ca s-a ajuns si la convingerea ca nu trebue intaiu gaurita ( sfredelita ) coloana de fonta ci turtita, si numai in urma sa se faca perforarea – dupa ce incendiul de sus se va fi stins s’au micsorat prin turtirea cantitatei de titeiu eruptive.

Inginerii americani sant cam exclusivisti: nu admit experimentarea mijloacelor altora. Si aci au lucrat dupa voia lor – fara sa dea socoteala.

Prietenul meu, d-l avocat Iosif, un om cu simt practic-mecanic deosebit imi spusese pe drum fara sa stie de lucrarile tunelului al doilea ca inca de-acum doua saptamani exprimase parerea ca, prin tunel, sa se turteasca coloana iar nu sa se perforeze. Lucrare exact ce se face acum, - Tocmai aceasta parere se executa, desi americanii au ajuns la ea fara sa consulte pe nimeni, dar numai dupa esuarea primei incercari care a costat viata a trei oameni.

Deci, o intarziere foarte pagubitoare.

Aci vrem sa facem observatiile cari credem ca intereseaza si organele de aici superioare, in special ministerele de finante si industrie.

Incendiul dureaza de mai bine de o luna consumand o avutie de sute de milioane fiindca dupa parerea specialistiilor, eruptia da circa 150 vagoane la zi. Si inca titeiu de prima calitate. Prin tunelul facut intaiu  - printr’o perforatie de sfredel, se preling circa 8-10 vagoane la zi, ceea-ce arata cantitativ eruptiunea sondei, care in afara nici nu se resimte de scurgerea celor 8-10 vagoane prin tunel.

Ori-cine pagubeste de pe urma acestui dezastru ? Nu numai societatea Romano-Americana, de sigur. Bogatia statului se iroseste in zadar si statul perde taxe insemnate dela aceasta exploatare bogata, extraordinara.

Nu crede oare autoritatea respective ca stingerea acestei sonde nu este numai in interesul societatii proprietara ? De ce s’a lasat numai la vrerea si mijloacele proprii societatea in chestiune, care pare ca nu pune tot zelul pentru a stinge acest incendiu urias, extrem de pagubitor ?

Oare lucrarile de stingere nu se puteau executa cu 200-300 oameni in plin lucru, cand terenul permitea aceasta munca ?

Oare nu era absolut nevoie de interventia statului pentru epuizarea tuturor mijloacelor de stingere?

Proprietarii terenului inconjurator se tem ca acest incendiu le va face pagube incalculabile deoarece celelalte sonde ce se vor pune, - cred ei – vor fi secatuite de pacura prin eruptia aceasta extraordinara.

Nu facem de cat sa inregistram in treacat aceasta temere – dar credem ca a fost o grava neglijenta pagubitoare dezinteresarea aratata de autoritatile in drept la opera de stingere.

Stim ca se intrebuintau soldati la munca campului. De ce nu s’ar fi adus aci pentru lucrari de sapaturi sistematice ?

Oare ideia tunelului larg si turtirea coloanei cerea timp de o luna, ca sa se evidentieze necesara ?

Ca incheere un amanunt care a scapat ziarelor pana acum : daca sonda nu ar fi luat foc prin accidentul survenit, o mare catastrofa s’ar fi abatut la Moreni.

Eruptia gazelor a fost asa de formidabila incat ar fi acoperit vai si dealuri. Cum sant case locuite la 50 de metri de sonda – un chibrit si totul era o mare flacara purtata de vant ca un parjol. Prin faptul ca sonda a fost incendiata in primul moment al eruptiei, gazele s’au aprins si nu s’au mai putut raspandi. Prin eruptia regulata – gazele acestea ar fi acoperit imprejurimile. Ceeace insemneaza ca sunt inca multe masuri de luat la noi in exploatarea sondelor petrolifere.

22 August 1925

Vizitator

Pompieri incercand stingerea sondei 1 RA Moreni Nord de pe dealul Pleasa in August 1925

1925 Pleasa fire - Well No. 1 RA Pleasa

On 25 of July 1925 at oil well 1 RA Moreni Nord from Pleasa Hill was accindentally  ignited. At that time Romano-Americana Society was represented at Moreni by engineer Budurovici. Bill Cannon, Standard Oil Co. driller, had ignited through friction the deepest oil well at Moreni ( 1146 meters depth ). The danger zone was evacuated.  The authorities, were induced to send a battery of artillery to bombard the well, with the object of closing it up.Romanian gunners bombarded it for half a day and all they succeeded in doing was to spread the fire. After several attempts after 3 weeks of eruptions they dug a tunnel to reach the casing. Gas infiltration in made the tunnel blow out causing injuries to the workers. A last attemp to dug another tunnel was finished in September. A tunnel of 70 meters was dug and meet the well casing at 15 meters under ground. After penetrating the casing they first pomped thru a pipeline built in the tunnel, estinguish liquid with 40 bar into the well trying to put down the flames and then to channel the oil to the pits on the same pipeline.  

1 RA Moreni Nord in flames from July to September 1925. 
Valea Pleasei-Moreni
The tunnel entrance at 5th of August 1925.
On the sign is written '' Intrarea strict oprita''
Latitude and longitude of location : 44.98422265,25.61628378
View over the nowdays location.

More informations at the following links :


Pleasa oil well on fire

Pleasa, Moreni , Prahova - oil well on fire in 1926

Oil well No. 1 Pleasa ''Romano-Americana''. Moreni, 1925.

 Adevărul, 38, nr. 12768, 28 iulie 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12770, 31 iulie 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12771, 1 august 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12773, 4 august 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12775, 6 august 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12782, 14 august 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12783, 15 august 1925
Adevărul, 38, nr. 12809, 16 septembrie 1925

Pleasa oil well in eruption

Well no. 1 Romano-Americana.
 Pleasa, Moreni.